Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Shatter Dead Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 5, 2021

Writer/director Scooter McCrae has some big ideas to help fill his filmmaking debut, 1994’s “Shatter Dead,” and he keeps all of them to himself. This is McCrae’s take on the zombie genre, only instead of flesh-munching monsters, the undead are basically the same as before, scattered across rural New York like homeless people, trying to live their best life without actually living. It’s a concept with promise, but McCrae is too busy trying to impress viewers with his Euro-cinema influences, going abstract with his collection of visuals and scenes. The movie opens with a bewildering moment that has nothing to do with the rest of the endeavor, and “Shatter Dead” doesn’t really improve from there.

McCrae is looking to challenge expectations for zombie cinema, attempting an artier take on the walking dead, following the progression of Susan (Stark Raven) as she encounters the deceased and tries to avoid attention from a religious cult that’s tracking her movements. “Shatter Dead” has plenty of ideas it wants to share, but McCrae doesn’t provide answers to many questions left behind by the film. It’s not a mystery, but an offering of vagueness peppered with scenes of extreme gore and graphic sexuality. Normally, such distractions would be welcome, but “Shatter Dead” is too lethargic and amateurish to really enjoy on a B-movie level, and the shot-on-tape aesthetic doesn’t do the visuals any favors, despite some lofty ideas for religious and genre imagery.

Shatter Dead Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Listed as a "Brand new restoration of the director's cut," "Shatter Dead" arrives on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded image (1.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation. A fresh pass with the original Betacam SP master tapes push detail as far as possible with this level of equipment, and as shot-on-video releases go, this is certainly one of the best ones I've encountered. There's a decent sense of texture on skin surfaces, which are abundant in the feature, and locations retain passable dimension. Colors are limited, but hues aren't painfully washed out, with adequate greenery and natural skintones. Delineation is acceptable. Damage isn't an issue.

Shatter Dead Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix deals with the no-budget nature of the production, offering reasonably clear dialogue exchanges emerging from amateur actors and equipment limitations. Music is satisfactory, with a clear synth sound. Hiss is present throughout the listening event.

Shatter Dead Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features writer/director Scooter McCrae.

• Commentary #2 features writer/director Scooter McCrae and cinematographer Matthew Howe.

• Commentary #3 features writer/director Scooter McCrae and actors Stark Raven, Marina Del Ray, Robert Wells, and Daniel Johnson.

• "God Still Hates You" (39:34, HD) is a 2021 interview with writer/director Scooter McCrae and cinematographer Matthew Howe.

• "No Scars to Hide" (8:01, HD) revisits the Middletown, New York locations of "Shatter Hand," hosted by Michael Gingold. The featurette is also titled "Landscape of the Dead" for some reason.

• "The Loner" (8:27, HD) is a short film by Scooter McCrae.

• Commentary for "The Loner" features writer/director Scooter McCrae.

• Archival Footage (28:45, SD) collects bloopers and production ideas from "Shatter Dead," with commentary by writer/director Scooter McCrae.

• Vintage Tour (7:49, SD) joins writer/director Scooter McCrae as his revisits the house of horrors used in "Shatter Dead."

• "Shatter Dead: Original Version" (81:56, SD) offers the 1994 VHS presentation of the film.

• And a Trailer (3:44, SD) is included.

Shatter Dead Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Shatter Dead" doesn't have an entry point. It all exists in McCrae's head, and he's not in the mood to invite viewers into the wilds of interpretive cinema. He doesn't leave enough clues behind to stay on this journey, making for a long wait to an underwhelming ending. Those interested in the shot- on-video movement of the 1990s might find more to inspect with "Shatter Dead," but casual viewers are left with a puzzle that's not worth solving, with this horror endeavor either too shapeless to stay with or too goofy to take seriously. Either way, McCrae is perhaps too ambitious with the picture, lacking a game plan to make it all come together.